January 11, 2012 - A Cold War hero will take to the
skies once again as the world’s only flyable Lockheed
EC-121 Super Constellation "Connie” flies home to Yanks
Air Museum for permanent display on Saturday, January
14, 2012.

The Lockheed Constellation was a propeller-driven
aircraft powered by four 18-cylinder radial Wright
R-3350 engines. It was built by Lockheed between 1943
and 1958 at its Burbank, California, facility. A total
of 856 aircraft were produced in numerous models, all
distinguished by a triple-tail design and dolphin-shaped
fuselage. The Constellation was used as a civilian
airliner and as a U.S. military air transport, seeing
service in the Berlin Airlift. It was the presidential
aircraft for U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

This historic flight will bring to a close a seven-year
project to get this amazing goliath aircraft back into
the air. The "Connie" will take off from Camarillo
Airport Saturday morning and will fly to it's new home
in Chino where it will join 170 aircraft already on
display at Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California.

After
World War II the Constellation came into its own as a popular,
fast, civilian airliner. Aircraft already in production for the
USAAF as C-69 transports were finished as civilian airliners,
with TWA receiving the first on 1 October 1945. TWA's first
transatlantic proving flight departed Washington, DC on December
3, 1945, arriving in Paris on December 4 via Gander and Shannon.

Trans
World Airlines transatlantic service started on February 6, 1946
with a New York-Paris flight in a Constellation. On June 17,
1947 Pan American World Airways opened the first ever regularly
scheduled round-the-world service with their L-749 Clipper
America. The famous flight "Pan Am 1" operated until 1982.

As the
first pressurized airliner in widespread use, the Constellation
helped to usher in affordable and comfortable air travel.
Operators of Constellations included TWA, Eastern Air Lines, Pan
American World Airways, Air France, BOAC, KLM, Qantas,
Lufthansa, Iberia Airlines, Panair do Brasil, TAP Portugal,
Trans-Canada Air Lines (later renamed Air Canada), Aer Lingus
and VARIG.

This
aircraft had Top-Secret capabilities and monitored the skies for
hostile aircraft for over 44 years during the height of the Cold
War often flying missions 24 hours a day. It served over the
Pacific as well as Taiwan, South Korea and Iceland during the
Cuban Missile Crisis. You need only to take a look inside to see
the massive electronic and technological capabilities of this
aircraft.

The civilian version of the "Connie" had an illustrious
career with Pan Am and TWA during the elegant era of air
travel. In 1944 TWA President Jack Frye and Howard
Hughes took Orville Wright up in a "Connie" for his last
flight. Designed in part by the legendary Kelly Johnson
the "Connie" can be easily recognized by the sleek
dolphin shaped fuselage and her triple-tail design. This
amazing aircraft’s engines are more powerful than eight
diesel locomotives and could power an entire city.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see this elegant
aircraft in flight as she roars overhead and touches
down at the Chino Airport in Chino, California at
approximately 12:00 noon on Saturday, January 14, 2012.
In addition, Yanks Air Museum will be hosting a number
of family-friendly activities including aircraft tours,
photo ops, the opportunity to meet the crew, and signed
free posters (while they last) with purchase. Limited
edition signed artwork and a "first-aboard" aircraft VIP
tour will also be available. To celebrate this event the
museum will be open both Saturday and Sunday from 8:00
AM to 4:00 PM.